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Telangana Urges Farmers to Avoid Paddy as Rabi Turns Drier
Telangana expects the coming Rabi growing season to be hotter and drier than usual.
It is expected to begin in November.
The weather department predicts about 10% less rain than normal and temperatures around 1°C higher.
The state says there may not be enough reservoir water for farming because water also needs to be saved for drinking.
So officials are asking farmers not to grow paddy this season.
They recommend crops such as pulses and oilseeds, which need less water.
The state says farmers who grew these crops have sometimes earned more than they would have from paddy.
In the previous Kharif season, farmers planted less paddy and more cotton and pulses.
Telangana’s agriculture department advised farmers to avoid paddy in the Rabi season beginning in November.
The India Meteorological Department forecast Rabi rainfall 10% below normal and temperatures about 1°C above normal.
Officials urged farmers to choose lower-water crops, especially pulses and oilseeds, as irrigation water may be limited.
During Kharif, paddy planting fell by about 11 lakh acres, while cotton acreage rose by more than two lakh acres.
Pulse acreage increased by about 35%, and oilseed acreage rose from 3.76 lakh acres last year to 3.97 lakh acres this year.
- Who
- Telangana’s agriculture department, led in the meeting by Agriculture Secretary K. Surendra Mohan, and the state’s farmers.
- What
- Officials advised farmers to avoid paddy in Rabi and consider lower-water crops such as pulses and oilseeds.
- Where
- Telangana, India.
- When
- The Rabi season is due to begin in November; the advice was issued on Wednesday.
- Why
- Rainfall is forecast to be below normal and temperatures above normal, while available reservoir water may need to be conserved for drinking needs.
Key facts
- Rabi season
- Begins in November.
- Rainfall forecast
- 10% below normal, according to the India Meteorological Department forecast cited in the article.
- Temperature forecast
- Around 1°C above normal in the coming months.
- Recommended crops
- Pulses and oilseeds, described as requiring less water.
- Kharif paddy acreage
- About 11 lakh fewer acres were planted with paddy than in the previous Kharif season.
- Kharif pulse acreage
- Increased by about 35%.
- Oilseed acreage
- Rose from 3.76 lakh acres last year to 3.97 lakh acres this year.
Quotes
K. Surendra Mohan
Telangana agriculture secretary
“The irrigation department has been guiding us that whatever water is available in reservoirs will have to be conserved to meet drinking water needs and that it may not be able to provide irrigation. There is no alternative but to go for crops with low water requirements, such as pulses and oilseeds, this rabi.”
deccanchronicle.com
“The IMD is predicting that rainfall during rabi will be 10 per cent below normal and temperatures will be around one degree Celsius higher in the coming months. Under these conditions, with lower water availability and a hotter climate, crops such as pulses and oilseeds will be the right choice for farmers.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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